Ray Winstone Slams MCU: “It’s All About Selling Tickets”

British actor Ray Winstone, known for roles in movies like “The Departed,” recently spoke at the Sarajevo Film Festival, where he was receiving the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award for his contributions to cinema.

During the interview, Winstone reflected on how much the film industry has changed over the years. He explained that it feels like movies have turned into a big business, focused more on making money than on creating meaningful roles.

“It’s all about selling tickets,” Winstone said. “We see what’s happening in Hollywood with Marvel and all that kind of stuff… There is room for it, and it’s fun, but it takes away from getting cultural films made, which are best for the actors, [and] are really good acting parts. It’s getting more and more difficult to do that. If you’re not on social media now, they might not even consider you for a movie because they want a fanbase to come with that.”

He also talked about his own experience in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In 2021’s “Black Widow,” Winstone played Dreykov, the villain who runs a secret program turning young girls into deadly spies called Black Widows.

“I worked with this amazing director, Cate Shortland, and we worked on what my character was going to be. He was like a pedophile running around all these girls, and they’d become black widows. We used to get applauded on set. It was probably the best thing I’ve done for a really long time,” Winstone said.

However, the experience wasn’t without its challenges. After finishing the initial shoot, Winstone was called back for reshoots. “I say: how many scenes? [Cate] says ‘all of them.’ So I said she should recast [the role], but I was contracted, so I had to do it. I go back, they do my hair all nice, put me in the suit, and I couldn’t do it. I’d already done it. I thought, ‘I’m not doing it now. I’ve done it. That’s how it’s going to be.’ That’s rejection, you know? There’s nothing worse than doing something, leaving it on the floor, and then being told it’s not right.”

Winstone also touched on the larger trend in Hollywood. He pointed out that the MCU doesn’t seem to have the same unstoppable energy it used to, with newer films struggling to reach the massive success of earlier blockbusters. “It’s fun, but it’s not what it used to be. The focus is just on selling tickets, not on making great characters or giving actors meaningful work,” he added.

Ray Winstone’s comments come as many actors and filmmakers are openly discussing how Hollywood is shifting more toward big franchises and social media-driven fanbases, often at the expense of smaller, cultural films that give actors room to shine.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!